624!

Well, I've hiked over hills and mountains and through the woods for 624 miles. It's hard to believe ... especially since the average American walks approximately one mile per week. I'm in Pearisburg, Virginia taking a day off. I'm still feeling great. I've been hiking with the same loose group since Damascus and we've seen some wonderful things ... various critters, wild ponies, and a day of torrential rain. We've jumped in and rinsed off in streams and basked in the sun when it returned. Within one week I will have completed 1/3 of the AT and be moving into central Virginia. I still love hiking the AT even though there are a lot who have been walking off lately for various reasons. The crowds are definitely going to start thinning soon. I love the fact that everyday is different since my portable home moves further along the trail each day and that there is always something new just around the corner. I love the vast majority of the people on the trail out here with me. They're some of the best men and women I've ever met. I also enjoy the experience of not knowing what day of the week or month it is. In the "other" world everything is on such a strict schedule - the opposite is definitely an experience. Here are a few more pictures: Jogle after our waterlogged day; me atop Buzzard's Rock; Jogle with a well-deserved beer after drying out; Campfire on the trail in the Greyson Highlands; Jogle, Mas, Blazing Star and Samson